1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a projector holder with a connecting element that includes a coupling element for connection of the projector holder to a supporting structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical video projectors include a number of threaded openings in at least one of the walls of the projector housing, for instance in the top or the bottom housing wall.
This enables the projector to be connected readily to an object, for instance a projector holder, by means of screws that engage with the threaded openings.
In turn, the projector holder includes a connecting element, for instance a ball coupling, which allows the holder, and also the projector stably connected to the holder, to be connected to a supporting structure.
The threaded openings in the wall of the projector housing are normally located at mutually different levels and at different distances apart in the many different commercially available projector models. The projector holder includes a number of straight elongate arms and a device by means of which the arms can be mutually joined and which includes a coupling device by means of which the projector holder can be connected to a supporting structure. This allows a first end of each arm to be placed over a respective threaded opening in the wall of the projector housing and connected to said wall with the aid of a connecting element.
The other end of respective arms is suitably slotted. The arms will typically include mutually parallel opposing surfaces and are placed so that their slotted or fork-shaped ends cross one another in an arm stack, wherein the connecting element includes a screw joint whose screw extends through the fork-shaped or slotted ends of the arms. The effective length and the direction of said arms from the connecting element can therewith be readily adjusted and the screw joint then tightened. The screw joint may, for instance, include a so-called finger-manipulated nut.
The connection between the first end of an arm and the corresponding threaded opening in the housing must be rigid and, for instance, be able to take-up both compression and tension forces. The connection must also be able to provide a desired effective length and also a non-rotatable connection of a forward threaded part to the threaded opening of the housing. In this regard, the forward threaded part must not protrude particularly far into the housing, so as to avoid the risk of damaging components in the housing. It will preferably be possible to establish the connection with the aid of standard elements, and preferably with the aid of simple screws, which although preferably having a standard length will nevertheless fit many different projector models that have threaded openings of corresponding diameter and thread systems. Because different projector models have threaded openings of mutually different diameters and/or thread systems, the first ends of said arms cannot include a thread for screw connections, for practical reasons.